Internists Looking After Cancer Survivors Seldom Initiate Discussions about Sexual Dysfunctions
A recent research conducted by scientists from the MGH (Massachusetts General Hospital) studied the concerns of a small number of medical internists who look after cancer patient survivors. They state that the cancer survivors present some sort of sexual malfunctions.
Authors that developed this investigation are as follows: Eric Campbell from the Institute for Health Policy, Sharon Bober, Christopher Recklitis, and Lisa Diller from the Perini Family Survivors’ Center within the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Jean Kutner from the University Of Colorado Denver School Of Medicine. Their research is released in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The survey was financed by grants offered by the Swim Across American Foundation and the American Cancer Society.
This investigation is going to be released in this month`s supplement of the Journal of General Internal Medicine. However, the research is available in the Internet version of the journal. In this investigation, the scientists state that more than 50 percents of the internists that gave full disclosure to an inquiry reported that they seldom or even never communicated with their cancer survivor patients about the latter sexual dysfunctions.
Leading the research in this matter was Doctor Elyse Park from the Institute for Health Policy within the Massachusetts General Hospital. As the author states the sexual problems that face cancer survivors represent an essential feature in the life quality matter. If discussions regarding this matter do not take place in the office of each patient`s prime care doctor, it is for sure that they would not take place anywhere else.
The quality-of-life maters are growing in importance due to the fact that nowadays there are many people who suffer from cancer and manage to survive it. The sexual problems are very common in the cases of prostate and breast malignant tumor survivors, but they also appear in important figures regarding patients who survived other forms of malignant tumors. These sexual dysfunctions could be the outcome of the treatment against cancer or from the disease itself. In addition, many of the sick people could also present signs of depression, concerns related to their body appearance which can lead to a lack of sexual desire, anxiety, sexual functionality and privacy.
Even though there are numerous efficient therapies against these sexual dysfunctions, the investigators explain that these types of treatments can commence only after the cancer surviving patient has been identified. As a key note for the study, the primary care doctor of each and every cancer surviving person is the highest authority in identifying the people faced with sexual problems and providing them with assistance in this matter.
The research undergone by the team of investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital is part of a bigger survey regarding the care of primary physicians for their patients who managed to survive malignant tumors. This scientific survey was sent and completed by more than 200 internists who collaborate with the University of Colorado. Some of the questions comprised by this inquiry were related to how often the internists started talking with their adult cancer surviving patients about sexual problems and the manner in which they addressed such issues.
The outcomes of the survey were that just 46% of the questioned internists stated that they pondered the idea of discussing sexual dysfunction issues with their patients and 62% of them said that they either never of seldom would initiate a discussion about sexual problems with their patients.
The elements linked to a physician`s ability and desire to initiate discussions regarding sexual dysfunctions were the direct interaction with the patient done frequently and the ability of showing a greater emotional intelligence in better caring for patients who survived malignant tumors on a general basis. An additional factor related to a physician’s willingness to initiate a discussion on the sexual problem subject is the ability to perceive the patients` fears and thoughts about their health and dysfunctions. The lack of the internists` time in addressing such dialogues was not considered a barrier in providing care.
As the leading author of the research states even if the discussions on the topic of sexual dysfunctions did not seem to be considered as a standard in providing medical care to people who survived cancer, if the internists felt the need or noticed that some worrying issues troubled their patients, then they would be more prone to initiate communication on this subject.
In addition, the senior researcher explained that people who survived malignant tumors usually presented in an open manner their anxieties and depression states linked to their illness or the treatment counteracting it. However, none of the sexual dysfunctions were mentioned during such conversations. Being also a psychologist in clinical care and assistant professor in the Psychiatry department within Harvard Medical School, doctor Parks states that in numerous if not all cases, sexual dysfunctions affect cancer surviving patients. These issues represent great problems which affect the quality of the patients` lives, but they are seldom discussed during the visit to the primary care physician.
The investigators suggest the need for more training in order to assure a better preparation on the internists and primary doctors` behalf in discussing with their patients about the sexual dysfunctions and matters.
